Coupling for electric cars



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. PPINGST. GOUPLING PoR ELECTRIC GARS.

PatentedApn 22, 1890.

No. 426,317,l

(No Model.)

, 2 SheetsSheet 2. l L. PFINGST.v GOUPLING POR ELECTRIC: GARS.

No. 426,317. Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS PFIN GST, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUP L|NG FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,317', dated April22, 1890. Application filed February27, 1890. Serial l\To.3ll1,94'7x (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it'known that I, LOUIS PFINGST, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk,State of Massachusets, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Couplings for Electric Cars, of which the following is a descriptionsuflicientlyfull, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in theart or science to which said invention appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 isa bottom plan view of two cars,showing my improvement in use 5 Fig. 2, atop plan view of the link; Fig.3, a sectional elevation showing details of construction, and Fig. 4 afront elevation of the hanger. v

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to couplings tor electric street-railwaycars, the object be- 1n g to overcome lost motion usual in couplings ofthis class and jar on the tow-cars incidental to stopping and. startingthe train.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all con versant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A B represent the cars of a train provided with myimproved coupler. The parallel braces l) d arev secured centrally andlongitudinally on the bottoms of the cars. On the body of the car abovethe ends of these braces a metallic buffer D is secured, as shown inFigs. 3 and 4. Pendent from the ends of the braces and secured theretoby bolts and nuts f there is a metallic loop or hanger O, having ahorizontal bottom g.

Secured to the bottom of the carbodies between the trucks and braces l)d there are metallic spring-boxes 71,. These boxes are open on theirbottoms at t' and at j in their rear ends. (See Fig. 3.)

The draw-bar H is fitted to slide longitudinally through said boxes andis provided with a horizontallyslotted head 7c, after the mann ner ofthe ordinary link-and-pin drawbar. A rectangular plate m (see Fig. 3) isdisposed loosely on the draw-bar, and is fitted to slide in the box 7L.Shoulders p on said bar engage the plate and force it inward in the boxon the rearward movement of said bar. A similar plate q is looselydisposed on the drawbar at the opposite end of the box, said plateengaging a vertical shoulder or iiange r on the box bottom near theopeningj. Secured on the draw-bar between the plate Q( and the inner endt of the box there isa block or ring o. A stiff coiled spring J isdisposed around the draw-bar within the box 7L, the ends of said springbeing secured on studs w a: on the plates m g, respectively.

A horizontally arranged supplemental draw-bar K rests centrally on thebottom g of the hanger C, and has one end secured in the head la of thedraw-bar H by means of a pin 15, said pin being secured therein by a keyor pin 16.

The linkP consists of a box, rectangular in cross-section, provided witha horizontal chamn ber 17, extending inward from each end and adapted toreceive the free end of the bar K. Each end of the link is provided Witha ver tical pin-opening extending across said chambers and adapted toreceive coupling-pins 1S. An eye 19 is formed on the link, and chains 2Oconnect each pin with said eye.

, The supplemental draw-bars K have pinopenings in their outer or freeends adapted to register with the corresponding openings in the link. c

In the use of my improvement the link is secured by a pin 1S to thedraw-bar l of the motor-car. The draw-bars of the train-cars beingsustained in the same horizontal plane by the hanger C when themotor-car is backed against said train-cars to shackle them, thetrain-car draw-bar may readily be directed into the open end of the linkand secured by a pin 18. The shock resultant from the coupling of thecars is cushioned by the spring J. The plate on, met by shoulders p p onthe drawbar H, is driven into the box t and said spring compressedA Thepinsl and 1S having no play in the pin-holes of the drawbars or linkwhen the train is started the bar H is drawn outward through thebox,\its block o engaging the plate q, compressing the spring andrelieving the check on the tow-cars. By the use of my improvement themomentum of the towcar,

IOO

which ordinarily tends to drive it forcibly against the motor-car instopping, is sufficient to overcome jarring.

By means of the supplemental dr( W-bar pivoted at its inner end to themain bar II by pin 15, sufficient lateral movement is allowed to permitthe cars to readily pass around curves in the track.

The coupling proper as thus arranged on each car hasno longitudinal playindependent from that on the adjacent car, and such joint movement iscushioned on the spring J.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is l. In a car-coupler,a spring-cushioned draw-bar, a supplemental draw-bar pivoted toswinglaterally thereon, a link comprising a rectangular box chambered toreceive an end of said supplemental bar, and a pin for securing itthereto, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, a spring-box secured to the car-body, a maindraw-bar fitted to slide in said boX,a springfor cushioning said bar, asupplemental draw-bar pivoted to said main bar, and a link comprising` abox chambered to receive an end of said supplemental bar adapted to besecured therein by a coupling-pin, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, a link comprising a bar chambered longitudinallyat each end to receive a draw-bar and provided With openings forcoupling-pins, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the link I), provided with chambers 17,11'01receiving a draw-bar,

and openings extendingv across said cham-l bers for the couplingepins,substantially as set fort-h.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination of a box secured to the car-body,a spring-cushioned main draw-bar sliding longitudinally therein, asupplemental draw-bar detachably pivoted to the head of said main bar, ahanger on the car provided with a horizontal bottoni for supporting saidsupplemental bar, and a link chambered to receive the outer end of saidbarmand provided with openings for acoupling-pin whereby it may besecured therein, substantially as described.

G. In a car-coupler, the combination of a spring-cushioned draw-barsliding longitudinally on the oar-body, with a supplemental draw-barpivoted thereto, and supported by a hanger on the car, a link comprisinga boX or bar chambered to receive an end of said supplemental bar, andcoupling-pins for detachably securing said bar therein, the pinopeningsbeing arranged to prevent longitudinal play of the link and bar,substantially as described.

7. In a car-coupling, the spring-cushioned bar I-I, provided withthehead k, in combination with the bar K, secured thereto by the pin I5,the hanger C, the link P, chambered at 17, and the pins 1S, arranged tooperate substantially as described.

LOUIS PFINGST.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, K. DURFEE.

